Turning Japanese: An Adorable Cafe in Koenji, Tokyo

Hattifnatt Cafè is a small and lovely cafè located in a Tokyo suburb called Koenji. Read more about it after the jump...

Last year I was doing an internship in Tokyo and my boyfriend came to visit me during the freezing winter. Unfortunately, I had to work so he has to see most of Tokyo by himself (and yes, he’s still blaming me for that), but on the first weekend I took him to Koenji, one of my favorite Tokyo suburbs. It’s a tangle of lanes, charming shops, and cozy cafes.

We entered Hattifnatt Cafe to warm up and it was like entering a tree house in the middle of an enchanted forest. The walls are completely painted with animals, flowers, stars etc. the kids must love this place! (and the “big kids” like me, too). Later I found out that the walls are painted by a duo of young artists called Marini & Monteany

The menus are covered in fabric and hand-stitched while the cover stools and coasters are hand crocheted. It seems like being on a fairytale or in the middle of a child’s dream. We tried the hot chocolate, but there are plenty of pastries, cakes, pizzas, and a cheap and tempting lunch proposal on the menu. (The well-informed blog Hello Sandwich suggests the Avocado Taco Rice.)

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